Armenian lobby against Switzerland, Armenia and Azerbaijan

While the president of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, was preparing to leave for Armenia for the 8th summit of the European Political Community, Ashot Danielyan, the "speaker" of the Armenian separatists, arrived in Bern on a "working visit." This Ashot has been visiting Switzerland a lot lately. It seems that the lobby there is now turning into the last hope of the Armenians, who expect to take advantage of Switzerland's image by organizing provocations against other countries on its territory.

Provocateur Danielyan has once again arrived in Switzerland to discuss the "protection of the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh." The Armenians who voluntarily left Karabakh apparently have some special rights that others do not have and which require trips to Europe. The "immediate release" of Armenian criminals and the liquidated Armenian "new buildings" in Karabakh were also discussed in Bern. The standard agenda.

The separatists were greeted with bread and salt at the Swiss Federal Assembly, where well-fed lobbyists and representatives of the Christian Solidarity International (CSI) gathered. There is an Islamophobic organization that specializes in the rights of the "first Christians," that is, Armenians. Its leadership, in principle, can be understood - everyone wants to eat, and there is always a lot of delicious food in the diaspora's trough. Armenians pay for the most orders for the "protection of Christians", if it were not for them, the organization could have been left without a salary.

It turns out that the Swiss Peace Initiative on Nagorno-Karabakh commission exists in the Swiss Parliament. Nagorno-Karabakh itself has long since disappeared, and the commission is still in session. It even has co-chairs, deputies Erich Fontobel and Stefan Muller-Altermatt. Moreover, there is another separatist organization in Switzerland, the Committee for the Protection of the Rights of the People of Artsakh. And everyone is thinking day and night about how to "collectively and with dignity" return the Armenians to Azerbaijan. On Swiss soil, within the walls of the Swiss legislature, interfering in the affairs of a sovereign state, they claim that the Karabakh issue is not closed and cannot be excluded from the international agenda until the Armenians return to Karabakh en masse and establish their former order there.

Unlike their counterparts in other countries, local lobbyists are openly anti-Azerbaijani, openly meet with separatists, and are not particularly concerned about the diplomatic consequences for their own country.

In February, the same individuals - Erich Fontobel and Stefan Muller-Altermatt and representatives of the odious International - visited Yerevan and visited the separatist lair, where they held an "official meeting" with Danielyan, who claims to be the separatist leader today. At the meeting, Fontobel was awarded a "medal", and the others were given letters of thanks. It is clear that the gratitude of the separatists was not limited to one tin can and scraps of paper. However, it is unclear what the Swiss lobbyists are being thanked for. For two years they have been trying to force the Swiss government to organize a provocation against Azerbaijan, and for two years they have been sent into the woods, to put it mildly. Instead of supporting anti-Azerbaijani initiatives, the country's government is developing political relations with Azerbaijan, discussing green energy know-how, and encouraging business contacts. In other words, the situation for successful lobbying is very unfavorable.

In October 2024, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Swiss Federal Assembly called on the Government of the country to organize an international peace conference on the defunct Karabakh conflict. The aim was to "facilitate dialogue between representatives of Azerbaijan and the Armenians of Karabakh regarding the safe and collective return of the Armenian population under the supervision or presence of international actors." Both houses of parliament voted for this outrage, but the government opposed it. In other words, there will be no "peace conference."

Nevertheless, the lobby continues to give Armenians hope to remain needed. The separatists are widely accepted in parliament, making heartwarming statements, delighting the Armenian ear with slander against Baku. And everyone leaves happy. Some by what they heard, others by what they received.

The question may arise why Swiss MPs act so openly, not at all embarrassed by the obvious corruption of their Armenophilia. It turns out that there are historical reasons for this. A curious article was posted on this topic a couple of years ago by the website swissinfo.ch . Lobbying in the Swiss parliament is not a bug, but a feature, the author writes. That is, not a mistake, but a useful and even unique feature.

The article states that the country's parliament itself was established in 1848 as a meeting of "pushers" and "resolvers" representing the interests of the cantons, the sovereign subjects of the federation. In the middle and second half of the 19th century, a familiar oligarchic system was taking shape in Switzerland: politicians sell their services (laws) to businessmen (groups of influence). However, the movement of "radicals" (supporters of "true democracy") that arose in the cantons put an end to this system. This movement asked the eternal question: what were they fighting for? For the oligarchy or for the triumph of republican values? The result of this movement was the revision of the constitution of 1874 and the collapse of the so-called Escher System. But the idea of representing (both formal and informal) the interests of the regions in the federal center has not gone away. Lobbying has become part of the system, the article says. swissinfo.ch .

It turns out that all deputies in Switzerland lobby someone's interests, and this is not reprehensible. On the contrary, those who try to maintain their independence look strange. But the latter also do this in anticipation of a better offer. Immediately after the election of a deputy, a stream of congratulations begins from those who require his services.

However, the system of lobbying in the parliament of this country has long gone beyond its own regions, departments and business circles. Swiss MPs are now being bought by outside interests and diasporic circles. And this is also considered not a mistake, but a useful feature that there is no need to hide.

For this reason, members of the Swiss parliament travel to Yerevan to meet with the separatists, and receive them in Bern. Even previously, extremely active French and American lobbyists are trying to act less openly. Because peace is being built in the South Caucasus, and their own countries are loudly declaring their support for this process. Lobbyists in the US Congress or the French Senate are forced to take this into account and not cross the line. And regular meetings with separatists, revanchist statements, and statements about the alleged incompleteness of the Karabakh conflict are crossing the very line beyond which the permissible limit of lobbying Armenian interests turns into a provocation at the level of diplomatic problems.

It is surprising that the lobby in the Swiss Federal Assembly is not at all concerned that it is lobbying for the interests of an obscure separatist group that strays out of even its own ethnic context. After all, Yerevan itself is against the continuation of the Karabakh movement, against claims on the territory of Azerbaijan and talks about the return of Armenians who voluntarily left there to Karabakh. It turns out that the Armenian lobby in Switzerland also opposes the interests of Armenia. By its actions, it is harming the interests of the peace process in the South Caucasus and supporting separatism, escalation and a new war. Moreover, the resolutions being pushed through by the lobby also affect the interests of Switzerland itself, as they introduce wormholes into the relations between Bern and Baku. All this is done under the guise of supposedly peaceful initiatives and concern for the fate of Christianity in the Caucasus.

Yes, they say that money doesn't smell. But not to the same extent...